News Briefs for May 29, 2025

•Suntory Global Spirits has released Cruzan Island Reserve 13 Year Old, the oldest rum to date from the Cruzan distillery on St. Croix. The 40% abv rum is a blend of 13- (48%), 16- (22%), and 20-year-old (30%) rums aged in ex-Bourbon barrels. Due to the island’s climate, Suntory says, up to 5% of the rum was lost to evaporation each year, leading the company to blend roughly 800 barrels together for this release. Cruzan Island Reserve 13 Year Old is now available across the U.S. at a suggested price of $40 a 750-ml. Last year, Cruzan was at 510,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.

•MGP Ingredients has named Boston Beer veteran Martin Roper as chairman, effective immediately. Roper joined the board in April with more than two decades of industry experience, including a long tenure as CEO of the Boston Beer Co. He’s currently CEO of the Vita Coco Company. “Martin’s appointment comes at a critical juncture for the company as we continue our evolution into a premier, branded spirits organization,” said Brandon Gall, interim president, CEO, and CFO at MGP.

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